


The Smartest Idiot

by CuteCat213



Series: Questions [1]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Relationship status based on shipping goggles!, Ze Clip!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 17:48:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1574288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuteCat213/pseuds/CuteCat213
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin has trouble checking over his homework before school, but spots (a reluctant) Ryuuji, who, after judicious application of puppy-dog eyes, agrees to help. What Ryuuji discovers going over the papers changes what he thinks about the blue-eyed teen on the most basic level.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Smartest Idiot

Ryuuji Suguro, known to his friends (and one notable leech that wouldn't leave him the hell  _alone_ ) as Bon, was sitting at a table outside before school started, enjoying the early morning light, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and turned to look, just in time to catch the show. Rin Okumura, above-stated Bon-leech and worst student in school, in a show of unnatural early-riser habit that had the dual toned teen checking the sky for signs of impending apocalypse,  _also_  had a book out -really, Ryuuji was expecting Horsemen any minute- was so focused on that book that he didn't look where he was going.

The end result was both expected, and highly entertaining, as the blue-eyed teen ran face -well, technically  _book_ \- first into the school, falling back with an indignant squawk as the book, and a pencil Ryuuji hadn't noticed, went sailing. He snorted as the dork got back up and collected his things.  _Moron._

As if hearing the thought, the shorter teen rubbed his nose from where it hit and looked around -dammit, he was the only one around this early and there was nowhere to hide on short notice- spotting Ryuuji, his expression lighting up like a puppy in ways that had the taller male feeling put-upon, tight-chested, and guilty for feeling the former. The raven trotted over with his school supplies, "Hey, Bon!" he even had on the little clip Ryuuji had given him to keep his bangs out of his face.  _Dammit, Rin, what do you do to me?_

He sighed, figuring the best way to get rid of the other, and the uncomfortable feelings he evoked, was to just hear him out, "What?"

Rin set his book on the table, placed his hands flat on the surface, and leaned over it, invading Ryuuji's personal space to where he leaned back to get away from the over-enthusiastic teen. "You're real smart, ain'tcha?"

What kind of question was that? Also, how was he supposed to answer without sounding conceited? " 'Cording to my grades: yeah. What's that got ta do with anythin'?"

Rin pulled back all of a sudden, more hesitant and shy than Ryuuji could ever remember the brash loudmouth being, "Well, uh, could ya help me by checking my homework?"

He looked away from the pathetic (if rather cute) begging face, "Why should I?"

Rin clasped his hands together and leaned  _way_  into his personal bubble, almost freaking  _nose-to-nose_ , deep blue eyes sparkling, " _Please_ , Bon? Pleasepleaseplease? Yukio's gonna  _kill_  me if I fail another class!"

Feeling his face heat even more, Ryuuji finally gave in, "Yeah, fine, whatever." he got out his own clip as Rin settled next to him with the text book, "What are you even working on?"

Rin opened the book to where he'd been working, grabbing his pencil from where he'd rested it behind his pointed, elfin ear, "These stupid ex-things in pre-Algebra. I had Yukio explain them to me and need to make sure I've got it down before class. I even woke up early so I could have him check them over, but he was already gone when I woke up."

Ryuuji nodded and started looking over the worksheet, absentmindedly correcting: "Exponents." as he checked.

"Yeah, those. Stupid things making you multiply things you've already multiplied. Or haven't multiplied yet: I still haven't quite got that rule down."

Brown eyes widened as he scanned over the- the- the  _mess_  on the page. It wasn't just one or two, or even most of them:  _every_  single problem on the page (thirty questions) was wrong! That wasn't a mistake: that was a misunderstanding of a basic rule!  _How in the-_  He couldn't even see  _how_  Rin had done these problems in a way that corresponded in  _any way whatsoever_  to his written answers; not  _one_! The closest Rin had come to being right were the questions he hadn't bothered to answer at all. He blinked disbelieving eyes at the complete numerical gibberish on the worksheet. His voice was hesitant when it came out, "...You asked Yukio about this?"

Rin nodded, oblivious to Ryuuji's thoughts, "Yep! He said to multiply the big numbers, but add the small ones. But what qualifies as a small number? Anything five or under? But when you're rounding things up to the next number, five is considered one of the higher ones. I wasn't sure about that one so I only did the ones over or under five."

Ryuuji blinked at the other teen, the words not sinking in at first, then back to the book as realization took over. Testing the theory, he looked over the first question again, applying Rin's newly-stated logic to the equation, then sat back.  _I'll be damned..._  By that measure (even though it was the  _wrong_  one) Rin had gotten it correct. What was more, the questions were  _more_  confusing and hard to read based on that rule, and he worked out the next four of them just out of curiosity. Rin got them (again, by that rule) absolutely right.

He blinked again and looked over at the other boy, who was staring at him with a hopeful expression, and said with astonished wonder lacing his tone: "You're the smartest complete idiot I've ever met."

Rin looked confused at first, then seemed to understand and went, surprisingly, right to deflated instead of angry, expression falling pitifully. "I got them wrong?"

"Every single question."

The raven thunked his forehead on the table and hid his face in his arms, "Dammit! I was so sure I'd finally gotten it right. I double-checked every question! I really  _am_ a moron, aren't I?"

Ryuuji's stomach tightened at the self-deprecation in the voice of the usually hyper-happy teen, "Rin..." he didn't even notice his slip in calling the other by name as a sapphire eye peeked out at him, "Look, it's not really your fault. Yukio should have explained this better or at least stuck around to see you try one question. Here: look." Rin sat up and slid closer as Ryuuji showed him where he'd gone wrong, "Not numerical value big and small. He was trying to dumb it down too much and ended up confusing you. He meant  _these_  small numbers: the exponents.  _These_  you add, while these are what you multiply. Here, try."

The raven leaned over and grabbed the pencil, reworking the first problem in a couple minutes, face lighting up, "Hey! It's way easier to do this way!"

The taller teen couldn't help the wistful smile, "Yeah, imagine that." he was ignored as Rin leaned over him, erasing all his previous work and writing in his new answers. There was the bright-lit fire in the teen that he knew so well, not the dull, low-burning ember that had been there just minutes ago. The hopeless look on the other's face in his mind made a shiver go through him: Rin should never look like that. "Hey, Rin..."

A bright blue eye turned to him, half worshipful and half distracted, "Hmm?"

"Lemme know if ya have any more questions, alright?"

Rin beamed at him, "Really? Thanks Bon!"

He wanted to bop the other on the head; remind him that he hadn't given him permission to call him that, but, just this once, Ryuuji thought he'd let it go.


End file.
